Apparatus for condensing hydrocarbons



Feb. 20, 1934. J. c. MAQHONEY APPARATUS FOR CONbENSING HYDROCARBCNS Original Filed Marh 1931 Z-Sheets -Sheet 95119.1, ,w'qnz. Z. Z/ Z3 Z4 367 v im- INVENTOR I John iMa/wngy ATTORNEY Original Filed March 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fug- INVENTOR Jab/7 C. Mahonqy 1mg 1.. ATTORN 1 til Patented Feb. 20, 1934- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS ron CONDENSING HYDROCARBONS John C. Mahoncy, Elizabeth, N. 1., ansignor to 1 Alco Products, Incorporated, New York, N. Y.,

a corporation oi Delaware 13 Claims. (c 1. 257-42) My invention relates to the art of distilling hydrocarbons and particularly to the condensation of oil vapors and the disengagement oi entrained condensate from the uncondensed vapor.

This application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No. 520,073, filed March 4, 1931 now Patent No. 1,918,608 issued July 18, 1933.

One object of my invention is to provide an improved condensing structure in which hydrocarbon vapors are efliciently condensed.

Another object of my invention is-to provide a structure for condensing a hydrocarbon vapor out of a mixture with steam and separately condensing the steam.

Another object of my invention is to provide a condensing structure for hydrocarbon vapors in which the condensate is formed in two separate condensing'zones whereby condensates of different boiling ranges may be obtained from a body of hydrocarbon vapors.

Another object or my invention is to provide an apparatus which is cheaper to build and easier to maintain.

Other objects of my invention will appear from the f ollowing description.

In the accomp nyin drawings which form part of the instant specification and which are to be read in conjunction therewith;

Figure 1 shows a sectional elevation of an apparatus embodying one mode of carrying out my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of a modification embodying another mode of carrying out my invention.

Figure 3 is -a sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 3.

In general; my invention contemplates the provision of a casing with an internal inverted baflie or hood within which are disposed banks of condenser tubes. The construction is such that the tubes are removable for cleaning and repair. The vapors which condense collect in the bottom of the casing from which they are withdrawn through a line which may be governed by a flow controller. The uncondensed vapors which may be hydrocarbon vapors, mixtures of hydrocarbon gas and steam or other vapors, pass upwardly into heat exchanging relationship with a second bank of condenser tubes. The condensate which is formed in the second bank is collected in a receiver disposed under the tube bank and is withdrawn. It will be understood that the condensate which is withdrawn from the lower part of the shell is of higher boiling point than that withdrawn from the secondrry condensate receiver. It is to be understood, of course, that the shell maybe placed under a vacuum by means of a suitable pump or other vacuum producing means such as steam jets. Inasmuch as these devices are well known in the art, they have not been shown.

More particularly referring now to the drawings, a shell 1 which may be cylindrical or rectangular as desired, is provided with a plurality of condensing units which are secured thereto in any suitable manner. The lower part 2' of the shell 1 is devoid of tubes and forms a condensate receiver from which the condensate is withdrawn through line 3a which may be controlled by any suitable float control means not shown. Transversely of the shell are positioned a plurality of heat exchange tube bundles 3 and 4. The tubes extend from a stationary tube sheet 5 to a floating tube sheet 6. Cover sectlons 7 for the stationary tube sheet 5 form liquid headers or channels 8 which are provided with suitable baflies 9, and inlet and outlet nozzles 10. The floating tube sheet 6 is provided with cover section 11 to form floating headers 12. The floating headers are covered by suitable cover sections 13. The tube bundles 3 and 4 are connected to each other by means of cross connection 14 which extends between respective stationary headers. The cooling medium may enter the upper nozzle 15' or the lower nozzle 10, depending on whether or not counteror concurrent flow is desired. The upper part of the shell 1 supports a casing 16 which is provided with a stationary tube sheet 17 and into which tubes 18 are expanded. The lower portion of the tubes 18 are secured to a floating tube sheet 19 which is provided with a cover section 20 to form a floating header. A cover section 21 provided with a suitable bafiie 22 and a stationary tube sheet 1'1 is secured above the tube sheet 17, the said cover having inlet and outlet openings 23 and 24. Casing 16 projects downwardly into the shell 1 and forms at its lower portion a condensate receiving basin 25 having a drawofi outlet 33. It is provided with a peripherr l series of openings 26, which may vary in size and shape depending upon the volume of vapor present. The upper portion of the casing 16 communicates with the nozzle 30 which leads to any suitable vacuum producing means such as an air pump or steam jets. It is to be understood, of course, that the apparatus may be operated under at- 3 and 4 may extend through the inverted bame in the form shown in Figure 2 as can be readily seen by reference to the drawings. In this form, the space between the baiile and the shell is annular.

A vapor inlet nozzle 32 leads to the upper portion of the inverted bame 31. A condensate drawofi line 3a leads from the condensate receiver 2.

In operation, water or other cooling medium may be introduced through nozzle 23 of the upper condensing member and leave the same through nozzle 24 from which it may be led to the inlet pipe 10 of the lower tube bundle 4, thence through cross connection 14, through tube bundle 3, and finally be discharged through pipe 15. Separate and individual cooling medium circuits may also be maintained in each tube bundle by suitably modifying. the interconnecting piping. The vapors may enter through nozzle 32, flow downwardly in contact with tube bundles 3 and 4 in series, then upwardly through the segmental spaces between the hood baiile 31 and the shell 1 through the openings 26 of the casing- 16 into contact with the tubes 18 of the upper condensing member. It will be noted that the flow of the vapors is oountercurrent to the flow of the cooling medium. By simply reversing the point of inlet, the flow of the cooling medium and of the vapors may be concurrent, if desired.

It is to be understood, of course, that baflies or distributing membersmay be positioned within the hood baflle 31 to distribute the vapors over the surface of the condensing tubes 3. The condensate falling downwardly washes the tubes of the tube bundles 3 and 4 and tends to keep them free of tarry deposits. It will be understood, of course, that the high boiling components of the vapors will be condensed by tubes 3 and 4. This condensate will collect in the receiver 2 and will be withdrawn through connection 31:. The uncondensed vapors will rise upwardly in the segmental spaces formed by the hood baffle 31 and the shell 1 and enter the casing 18 through the openings 26. Here certain components of the vapors are condensed by heat exchange with th medium flowing through the tubes 18. This condensate will be of a lower boiling composition than that which collects in the lower receiver 2. This condensate is collected in the receiver 25 and is withdrawn through line 33. The uncondensed vapors and fixed gases pass out of my device through line 30 which, as was pointed out above, may be connected to an air pump or vacuum jets if desired. If required, additional condensing equipment may: be positioned between line 30 and the vacuum jets.

It will be manifest that I have accomplished the objects of'my invention. I am enabled to condense hydrocarbon vapors in an expeditious manner and obtain fractional condensates or to separately condense the steam from a hydrocarbon vapor-steam mixture. My apparatus is easily maintained inasmuch as all of the tube bun:-

dles are removable independently of the other tube bundles. The flow of the vapors may be oountercurrent throughout the entire assembly, concurrent throughout the entire assembly, or concurrent in part and oountercurrent in another part, depending upon the connections between the various tube nests. Close control of the condensi ng temperatures may be effected. It is to be understood, of course, that while I have shown two tube bundles under the hood baflle that any suitable number of tube bundles maybe employed.

It willbe understood that certain features and sub-combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of my claims. It is further .obvious that various changes may be made in details within the scope of my claims without departing from the spirit of my invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An apparatus Ior condensing hydrocarbon vapor mixtures comprising a vertical shell; a coil unit within said shell, means for introducing hydrocarbon vapor above said cooling unit and means for directing the vapor downwardly over the unit to the lower portion of the shell and upwardly to the upper portion of the same independently of the downflowing vapor.

2. An apparatus for condensing hydrocarbon vapor and the like, comprising a vertical shell having an inlet opening in its upper portion and a condensate outlet opening in its bottom portion; a cooling unit disposed within said shell; means for directing the flow of vapor from said inlet opening, over the cooling unit to the lower portion of the shell and for changing the course of the vapor at the said lower portion of the shell and directing the same upwardly at the sides of the cooling unit, to the upper portion of said shell.

3. An apparatus for condensing hydrocarbon vapor and the like comprising a vertical shell having an inlet opening near the top of the same; a cooling unit transversely disposed in the upper portion of said shell; a battle structure disposed so as to enclose said unit within said shell and adapted to direct the flow of vapor over said unit, said shell having a condensate outlet opening in its lower portion below said cooling unit, and said bai'ile structure providing a space between the cooling unit and the shell to permit the upward passage of vapor from the said lower portion of the shell to the upper portion of the same.

4. An apparatus for condensing hydrocarbon vapor comprising a vertical shell: a cooling unit 5 transversely disposed within said shell; means for introducing hydrocarbon vapor above said cooling unit, means for directing the vapor downwardly over the unit to the lower portion of the shell; and for directing said vapor from the said no lower portion of the shell to the upper portion of the same independently of the downflowing vapor; the lower portion of the shell serving as a condensate receiver and condensing means disposed ,at the upper part of said shell.

5. An apparatus for condensing hydrocarbon vapor and the like, comprising a vertical shell having an inlet opening near the top oi the same: a cooling unit transversely disposed in the upper portion or said shell, a baiile disposed above and m at the sides oi. said unit within said shell andadapted to direct the flow of vapor over .said unit, said shell having an outlet opening in its lower portion below said cooling unit, said baflle providing a space at the side of said shell to permit the upward passage of vapor from the said lower portion of the shell to the upper portion of the same; and vapor condensing means disposed at the upper end of said shell.

6. An apparatus for condensing hydrocarbon vapor and the like, comprising a vertical, substantially cylindrical shell having an inlet opening near-the top of the same; a cooling unit transversely disposed in its upper portion, the lower portion of said shell embodying a condensate receiving zone and having an outlet opening for liquid condensate; baiile plates disposed above and at the sides of the cooling unit adapted to direct the flow of vapor from the said inlet port over said cooling unit, said baflies providing segmental spaces at the sides of said unit permitting the upward passage of vapor from the lower portion of the shell to the upper part of the same.

- "I. An apparatus for condensing hydrocarbon vapor and the like, comprising a vertical substantially cylindrical shell; a cooling unit transversely disposed within the upper portion of the shell; baiiling means above and at the sides oi said cooling unit; means for introducing hydrocarbon vapor above the cooling unit within said bailles, said bailles at the sides of said cooling unit providing passageways at the sides of the said cylindrical shell adapted to permit the passage of vapor from the lower portion of the shell to the upper portion of the same; and condensing means disposed above the saidupper baiiie.

8. An apparatus for condensing hydrocarbon vapor and the like, comprising a vertical substantially cylindrical shell having an inlet opening near the top of the same; a cooling unit transversely disposed in its upper portion, the lower portion of said shell embodying a condensate receiving zone and having an outlet opening for liquid condensate; baflle plates disposed above and at the sides of the cooling unit adapted to direct the flow of vapor from the said inlet port over said "cooling unit, said baflles providing segmental spaces at the sides of said unit, permitting the upward passage of residuary uncondensed vapor from the lower portion of the shell totheupperpartotthesame; meansinthe upper part of said shell above the said inlet opening for condensing the said residuary vapor; and means for separately withdrawing the condensate from the receiving zone of the shell, the condensate of the residuary vapor, and the non-condensed vapor.

9. An apparatus for condensing hydrocarbon vapor and the like, comprising a vertical substantially cylindrical shell; a cooling unit transversely disposed within the upper portion of the shell; baiiling means above and at the sides of said cooling unit; means for introducing hydrocarbon vapor above the cooling unit within said baflles,

said baiiles atthe sides of said cooling unit providing passageways at the sides of the cylindrical shell, adapted to permit the upward passage of vapor from the lower portion of the shell to the upper portion of the same.

10. An apparatus for condensing vaporized hydrocarbons and the like, comprising a vertical shell, a plurality of heat exchangers removably positioned in said shell, a baflle partially surrounding said heat exchangers and forming a hood having its lower portion open and extending downwardly into the lower portion of said shell, said lower portion of the shell forming a receiver for the condensate-and permitting it to collect in a pool, means for withdrawing the condensate from said pool, means for introducing vaporized hydrocarbons into said hood forming baflle, and means disposed above said heat exchangers adapted to condense the uncondensed portions oi! said vaporized hydrocarbons.

11. A condenser as in claim 10, wherein said hood forming haflie is spaced inwardly of said shell to form a passage for the uncondensed vapors leading to said condensing means.

12. A condenser as in claim 10, in which a condensate receiving means is disposed below said condensing means, an outlet for the condensate, and an outlet for the uncondensed portions-of the vapors.

13. An apparatusfor condensing hydrocarbon vapors comprising in combination a shell, an inverted bailie within the shell in spaced relation therewith, condenser tubes extending through said baiile and means for introducing hydrocarbon vapors into said baille.

JOHN C. MAHONEY. 

